Chapter 317

"No more ferries! Head east!"

On the thirteenth day of the third month of Chongzhen Year 10, the Wan River outside Shipai Town in Anqing lay desolate and still. The shops and houses along the river had their doors and windows tightly shut. The grain transport ships that once shuttled back and forth were nowhere to be seen. Yet Nianyu Ferry was a scene of chaos, countless commoners fleeing from the north wailing to the heavens. No ferry boats were moored at Nianyu Ferry's north crossing. A few constables rowed fishing boats on the river, waving for the commoners to flee from the north bank toward the prefectural city.

A second-floor window of a rice and bean shop was slightly ajar. Pang Yu, dressed in scholar's robes, looked toward the opposite bank and saw a rider reach the river's edge, holding up a bamboo tube and waving it at the fishing boats.

When the fishing boat reached the shore, that scout did not directly hand the bamboo tube to the soldiers in constable uniforms, but instead boarded the boat directly.

Pang Yu closed the window leaf and said, "A scout has crossed the river to report back."

The officers seated in the room all rose to their feet, the atmosphere suddenly tense. After meeting with Zuo Liangyu in Tongcheng, Pang Yu had led the First Division and Second Division back to the prefectural city. All forces of the Garrison Battalion were now concentrated between the prefectural city and Shipai, while the Reinforcement Army massed at Tongcheng.

To avoid arousing the Roving Bandits' suspicion, the Liuhe Camp and Yongsheng Camp of the reinforcement forces were still left at Qianshan and Taihu, while three hundred men of the Zhenjiang Land Camp were at Susong. Geli Yan had once again emerged from the mountains at Jifei Shoal. The Taihu local militia could not withstand the Roving Bandits' main army. The Liuhe Camp retreated toward Tongcheng after only a brief skirmish. Yang Zhuoran had no choice but to abandon the half-built city wall and flee toward Susong with the commoners.

At present, Geli Yan was encamped near Taihu County Town. Upstream along the Great River in Huangmei, Zhang Xianzhong had several camps totaling nearly a hundred thousand men. Small groups had already appeared near Tongling Fort on the Susong border, while a few mounted soldiers had also been spotted around Chenhan Mountain, which led to Guangji.

In the overall situation in Anqing, the government troops' two main mobile corps were concentrated in the northeast and southeast, leaving all other directions open. The Roving Bandits had also split into two large groups, to the north and west respectively, each side testing the other's patience.

The most ideal scenario Pang Yu had envisioned was for the northern camp heads led by Geli Yan to advance from Taihu or Qianshan toward the prefectural city, allowing Zuo Liangyu and Pang Yu to strike from both sides in a pincer. The other ideal scenario was for Zhang Xianzhong in the west to enter Susong and then attack Wangjiang, a place ringed by rivers and lakes. As long as Zuo Liangyu cut off the main road to Susong, it would be a perfect encirclement and annihilation. That was why, even now when there was an urgent need to concentrate forces, Pang Yu had still left two companies of the Marine Brigade stationed at Wangjiang, and had borrowed one company of the Zhuang Squad from Tongcheng. With the Tongcheng army now massed in great numbers, Yang Erming had no pressure to defend the city and smoothly lent them out according to the agreement. Wangjiang thus had three companies of officers and men, and with the Tongcheng Zhuang Squad's mobilization experience in city defense, they should be able to hold the small city of Wangjiang.

Pang Yu therefore urgently hoped for one of these two scenarios to materialize. To this end, he had specifically sealed all ferry crossings on the Wan River. All boats were ordered to moor concentrated on the south bank. Soldiers disguised as corvee soldiers and local militia patrolled the river sections, all to prevent the Roving Bandits from scouting south of the Wan River. Anqing Prefectural City had only community soldiers and a small number of water troops. Only the Zongyang Gate was left open for passage, but entry and exit were not restricted. Many people came and went each day, and there were certainly Roving Bandit spies among them who would bring Geli Yan word of the prefectural city's emptiness.

But just as Zuo Liangyu had said, both Geli Yan and the Eight Brigands seemed to have received word of the government troops' large numbers. The Roving Bandits' scouts were active everywhere, yet their infantry and family dependents never appeared within Anqing's borders. Large groups of mounted soldiers still remained along the courier route and did not push deeper into the interior.

Both sides patiently conducted reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance. Pang Yu had to be even more cautious. The Garrison Battalion's encampments were all kept far from the river channels. On the side of Shipai Town facing the Wan River, no one in military uniform was allowed to appear. The scouts he sent out were like commoners, permitted to stay only north of the Wan River. The information they received was that the Purple Tenuity Star had invaded Lu'an Prefecture, and the Garrison Battalion's main force had gone with Zuo Liangyu out of North Gorge Pass to provide relief. There were only two thousand government troops in all of Anqing. This was also part of Pang Yu's deception of the enemy.

Geli Yan was at the southern end of the Dabie Mountains, while Lu'an Prefecture was to the northeast, with layers of mountains in between. This terrain made intelligence difficult for the government troops, but the same was true for the Roving Bandits. In Pang Yu's judgment, not only were relations between the various Roving Bandit camps loose, but even considering just the difficulty of transmitting messages, they knew nothing of the situation on the other side of the Dabie Mountains. This was something Pang Yu could exploit.

Pang Yu did not wish for his precious scouts to be captured, but reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance were necessities in a campaign, making scout capture unavoidable. In the battles at Puzikou, Chuzhou, and this year's defense of Kongcheng Town, the Garrison Battalion had lost scouts to capture each time, while also capturing Roving Bandit mounted soldiers on multiple occasions. Neither the government troops nor the Roving Bandits had any notion of treating prisoners well. Information being extracted under interrogation was highly probable. The knowledge the scouts themselves possessed was also a means of deceiving the enemy.

In the forward skirmish toward Taihu from Shipai two days prior, a three-man scout team from the Garrison Battalion had gone missing. Though it pained Pang Yu deeply, he also hoped the situation would develop in the direction he anticipated. If Geli Yan believed there were only two thousand government troops in all of Anqing, and that the prefectural city's defenses were empty, this juicy piece of meat would be temptingly alluring. The chances of him risking a surprise raid on the prefectural city would be high, giving Pang Yu the opportunity to fight an encirclement battle.

But the key to the campaign's success did not rest on Pang Yu's patience alone. The twenty thousand Henan troops stationed in Tongcheng were not only a massive burden on Tongcheng, but nearly a catastrophe. Neither Zhang Guowei nor Dai Dongwen could restrain Zuo Liangyu's forces. Yang Erming and Pi Yingju incessantly poured out their grievances to Shi Kefa. The rations and pay that could be plundered in the surrounding area were nearly exhausted. Zuo's troops, lingering for so long, had no extra gains to show for it. The Henan Army had already twice moved out on their own without authorization — the first time at Shijingpu, the second at Guache River. Whether this had been exposed was unknown, but clearly their patience was nearly spent.

Under these circumstances, Pang Yu's urgency grew even more acute. Fortunately, the Roving Bandits' patience was also wearing thin. Yesterday, Geli Yan's infantry showed signs of emerging from the mountains. Today seemed to be a turning point. Normally, scouts were not permitted to cross the river; messages were placed in bamboo tubes and brought over by fishing boats. The fact that the arriving scout had boarded the boat meant the situation was relatively complex and difficult to describe in writing — likely, the Roving Bandits had made a major move.

Everyone in the room was a general officer of the Garrison Battalion. These past days of the entire battalion lying concealed and waiting had been more agonizing than the battlefield itself. Amidst their tension was anxiety as they watched the scout come ashore and head straight for the rice and bean shop.

The scout reached the upper floor, hastily saluted, and said to Pang Yu, "Marshal Zuo's army has fought past Taihu County Town. Geli Yan has been routed all the way and has already passed Fengxiang Courier Station."

Pang Yu's mind suddenly went blank. Only after a moment did he woodenly ask, "How many heads taken?"

"Several dozen heads taken."

A surge of breath rushed up in Pang Yu, his scalp tingling numb. He could not quite describe what he felt. Zuo Liangyu, without waiting for the Roving Bandits' main force to emerge from the mountains, had simply pushed forward along the courier route on his own. Tens of thousands of troops were all piled up on the road, the engagement front no wider than the road itself. The Roving Bandit cavalry had high mobility. At best, this would be a rout; it was fundamentally impossible to achieve any real result. With this one strike, Zuo Liangyu had already fought into Susong's borders. Geli Yan was fleeing farther and farther away and could not possibly come toward the prefectural city now. His decisive battle had gone up in smoke.

The encirclement battle he had planned for so long had turned into a pointless chase between household retainers and mounted soldiers along a courier route.

Yang Xueshi asked in a low voice beside him, "My lord, how... how do we fight now?"

Pang Yu took several heavy breaths to steady his mind, then turned to the desk behind him, where a map of Anqing was spread out.

"The Roving Bandits are all mounted soldiers and have already passed Fengxiang Courier Station. It is impossible for us to encircle them now." Pang Yu closed his eyes for a moment, forcing himself to calm down. He let out a slow breath and said, "Change of plans. The First Division will go to Susong via the Pedestrian Road. The remaining battalions will follow me to Fengxiang Courier Station. In any case, the government troops are numerous this time. We will go along with them. Since the Eight Brigands will not come to us, we will fight our way into Huangmei and seek him out."

Two days later, Pang Yu sat on horseback atop a hill on the Susong courier route. Around him were officers of the Jiangnan reinforcement army. Shi Kefa was speaking in low tones with the Henan Army Supervisor Dai Dongwen. Zuo Liangyu, however, was not present.

East of the hill were a few modestly sized camps, with some government troops moving about in the open fields. West of the hill, scattered along the courier road, lay several dozen corpses, all headless. Their clothes had been completely stripped away. From a distance, their identities were indiscernible.

Zuo Liangyu had not only pursued them to Fengxiang Courier Station, but had fought all the way past Old County, crossed the Old County River, and reached this place, where a somewhat larger engagement with the Roving Bandits had occurred. The corpses below the hill were all Roving Bandits.

Battlefield cleanup was usually very thorough — not even clothes or shoes would be left behind. But this time, Zuo Liangyu's logistics troops had not kept up, so the cleanup was not so immaculate. From the broken long shafts and banners still left on the ground, it was clear that a battle had indeed taken place. The scattered positions of the corpses also looked more like they had been cut down in formation.

"General Pang, I trust you are well."

When Pang Yu turned around, he saw the slightly haggard Mr. Ma, who had evidently followed Zuo Liangyu in the pursuit as well. He quickly said politely, "Greetings, Mr. Ma."

"That Marshal Zuo did fight a skirmish here, and these are all genuine Roving Bandits. Originally, these horse bandits fled swiftly, and Marshal Zuo's pursuit did not kill many. But when they reached this place, those horse bandits turned and came to attack for a spell, losing these men and horses. Otherwise, who knows if even this small victory would have been achieved. Today, the scouts report that the remaining bandits have already passed the mountain pass and fled toward Chenhan Mountain."

Pang Yu was slightly surprised. "The Roving Bandits came to attack on their own?"

Mr. Ma said in a low voice, "It shows that the bandit spawn also wished to fight. When we were in Tongcheng, Lord Zhang's planning was originally sound. But all the general officers were impatient, and in the end, it turned out like this. Though it is not as desired, it is still a small victory. General Pang has also done his utmost."

Mr. Ma was fully aware of how Pang Yu had rushed about coordinating among the various camps in Tongcheng for this campaign. He knew Pang Yu would certainly be disappointed and had come now to offer some consolation. Mr. Ma completely understood the situation Pang Yu and Zhang Guowei faced. A small victory like this was utterly useless.

Pang Yu smiled helplessly. "A small victory is always better than a defeat. Still, the Roving Bandits are cunning."

"That is General Pang being polite. I will not hide the truth from you, old as I am. The gathering of guest armies at Tongcheng was a good thing, but fortune is where misfortune lurks. Whether the Henan Army or the Jiangnan Army, they have never received full pay in ordinary times. Wang Yunfeng's troops, even more so, are already half a year in arrears. When the Jiangnan Army came to reinforce this time, the mobilization silver was a mere three Mace per soldier. The court wants the troops to suppress bandits and serve, but the troops only look for benefits. Over twenty thousand troops stationed at Tongcheng for more than ten days — not only was County Magistrate Yang utterly miserable, but the various camps, having been stationed so long with nothing gained, were already itching to move. They plundered and committed outrages everywhere around Tongcheng. Had they waited any longer, I fear that before Geli Yan could attack, the government troops would have broken Tongcheng themselves. So it is not that the Roving Bandits are cunning; it is that there was no alternative."

Pang Yu sighed inwardly. Troops in arrears was the norm. In such chaotic times, Pang Yu had originally found it hard to understand how the court dared to owe its army money. But after receiving commuted tax payments himself a few times, he was no longer surprised. When requesting military pay, an officer was no different from a beggar.

"In any case, this is the situation now. And with morale high after a small victory, I believe we should press on without letup. The main army should enter Huangmei via Tongling Fort. Huangmei is a place ringed by the Great River, making it difficult for the Roving Bandits to maneuver. If the planning is sound, we might yet achieve a great victory."

Mr. Ma slowly shook his head. Just as Pang Yu was about to press further, Mr. Ma said gravely, "Zuo Liangyu is leaving, returning to Shucheng."

Pang Yu felt dizzy again. How could Zuo Liangyu's moves completely defy all rules? He had just painstakingly conceived a new battle plan, and in the blink of an eye, it had turned to foam. Recalling now what Zuo Liangyu had said that day in Tongcheng, it was indeed true — in battle, he listened only to himself.

Pang Yu scanned the hilltop but still saw no sign of Zuo Liangyu's banner. "He... has already left?"

"Resting today, leaving tomorrow. How can such guest armies be relied upon? General Pang must still make other plans." Mr. Ma shook his head and headed toward Shi Kefa.

Pang Yu still could not figure it out. Zuo Liangyu had brought twenty thousand men, marched several hundred li to Anqing, spent over ten days, fought one hurried battle, and was leaving. The Roving Bandits he had killed were probably fewer than the men Zuo's own forces had lost to disease. What benefit was there for him in any of this? No one could predict his actions, and no one could do anything about him either.

"Everyone has their limits, limits... Is this Marshal Zuo's limit?"

Pang Yu sighed, turned around, and beckoned over the guide Xie Zhaofa, who was behind him. Now, when marching to war, Pang Yu made sure to bring him along without fail.

"There's no hope of going to Huangmei. Perhaps we won't be able to fight a major battle with the Roving Bandits after all."

Xie Zhaofa heard the disappointment in Pang Yu's voice. He was silent for a moment, then said, "This humble one believes it may not be so."

"What do you mean?"

"Just now, Mr. Ma said that the Roving Bandits were originally fleeing, but at this place, they turned around and came to attack. This humble one finds that highly unusual. My shallow opinion is this: it is because this hill is the only hill on the Susong courier route. Once the government troops secure a firm foothold here, it will be very difficult for them to invade via the courier route again." Xie Zhaofa pointed at the hill. "The Roving Bandits fought several small skirmishes at Taihu and must know that the one coming is Marshal Zuo. Moreover, he had already occupied the hill, yet they still came to attack for a spell, only fleeing when the battle turned truly unfavorable. This shows they are equally desperate for a fight. It must be that their remaining grain is running low. They can flee now, but when the grain runs out, they will have no way out. My lord may still have an opportunity to break the enemy."

Pang Yu furrowed his brow. Xie Zhaofa had analyzed so much from just a single sentence of Mr. Ma's, and it even seemed to hold some logic.

His mood immediately improved considerably. Only now did he carefully survey the surrounding terrain. This was the hilly fringe of the Dabie Mountains, where open plains and low hills intersected, and the courier route passed over the hill.

Pang Yu had traveled back and forth to Susong many times to inspect the terrain and passed this hill almost every time. Although this place controlled the courier route, it was not among Pang Yu's chosen battlefields in Susong. Old County and Chemache River were both better choices, because there were fortified strongholds built by Shi Kefa. Relying on those strongholds, the army could gain a significant advantage, and the terrain was more suited to the Garrison Battalion's style of fighting.

This place lay between Chemache River and Old County. It was the only hill the courier route passed through in the Susong section. Its actual height was not great — merely an earthen slope. The terrain itself was not strategically critical, but it could control the important courier route. On the slope was a relay post of Susong, and around this relay post were some food stalls, inns, and other service establishments, along with several dozen households.

After the last Roving Bandit incursion, a small portion of these buildings had been burned down. Zuo Liangyu's household retainers had occupied these houses to rest and regroup. Though hastily done, they had still set up some trenches and abatis. It was evident that Zuo Liangyu was quite cautious in his command, and the combat effectiveness of his household retainers remained reliable.

The Roving Bandits were light cavalry and light infantry. Actively attacking elite troops like household retainers was never the best choice, let alone assaulting a fortified position. Their counterattack here was indeed suspicious.

At this thought, Pang Yu turned his head and asked Xie Zhaofa, "What is this place called?"

"Replying to Your Excellency, it is called Fengjiadian." (Note 1)

(Note 1: In Rongzhen Year 10, there were two battles at Fengjiadian. The first occurred in the third month, and the famous second one occurred in the fourth month. This was the first battle, in which the government troops won a minor victory.)

Note 2: Regarding the location of Fengjiadian, this place name no longer exists today, and no sources record where it is located now. Consulting the Anqing Prefecture Gazetteer — Government Offices Volume, Express Relay Posts section, it records that Fengjiadu was forty li west of the city. The post road in Susong was sixty li in total length, so there should have been six posts. From west to east, it was the fourth. The Republican-Era Susong County Gazetteer records: Fengjiazhuang, thirty li north of the county seat to the border, with Xiantian and Fengxiang to the east, Nandui to the south, and Fengche to the west. Based on this approximate location, there is a place now called Fengdian Village, whose terrain matches the description in Zhang Guowei's Memorial to the Throne. Feng and Feng are homophones, so the Fengjiadian of that time should be today's Fengdian Village in Liangting Town, Susong County.